Fiber-mixer.



PATENTBD PEB. 13, 1906.

E. TYDEN.

FIBER MIXER.

APPLICATION FILED MAE.18, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

,311. PATENTED PEB. 13, 1906.

E. TYDEN. FIBER MIXER.

APPLICATION FILED MARIS, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NNI

U Nrrnn s'rnrns PATENT GFFTCE.

FIBER-MIXER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1906.

Application filed March 18. 1905. Serial No. 250,751.

To all who/1t it may concern/.-

Be it known that 1, EMIL TYDEN, a citizen of the United States, residingat Hastings, in the county of Barry and State of Michigan,

have invented new and useful Improvements in Fiber-Mixers, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide o an improved apparatus formixing the various grades and qualities of stocks for differentmaterials to be mixed and blended for manufacture of felt or other fiberproducts.

It consists in the organization, combina- 5 tion, and construction ofthe elements set out in the claims.

A serious diiculty encountered in mixing different fibrous materials forthe manufacture of felt or for carding in order to produce o the desiredgrades and qualities of resulting product arises from the fact that byreason of the different lengths and qualities of fiber in the differentelements to be thus mixed, the customary mixing devices by which the 5different elements when assembled in the, de-

sired proportions are, so to speak, stirred,

' combed, or raked together, tend often to separate the longer fiberedstock from that of the shorter fiber instead of mixing it withvit,

o because the short fiber or the smooth iiber, as hair, is easily leftbehind by the combing or raking device, while the long fiber or thatwhich tends more than the other to tangle or cling together is engagedand moved forward 5 by the rake, so that when the proper proportions ofthe various elements have been assembled together for mixing the actionupon the materials of the mixing devices takes out and blends a largerpercentage of the longer 4o and more engageable fiber and leaves behinda larger proportion of the shorter fiber or else causes the short fiberto be finally carried out in quantities,\where it becomes engagedbetween masses of longer fiber without being blended therewith. Thiscauses the resulting felt stock or card to be uneven in quality andespecially to contain occasional spots, which are made up so largely ofthe short `iiber as to constitute iaws and cause the reo sultingarticles of felt in which these spots appear to be classed as low gradeor rejected and the thread spun from these parts of the card to beinferior, causing waste of all the labor expended in manufacture. Itisto over- 5 corne this difliculty that the present invention Y isdevised. It consists of means by which the several elements of the stockto be blended are delivered upon a horizontal carrier in layers one uponthe other, the thickness of the layers being according to theproportions of the several elements desired in the mixture and suchrelative thicknesses being maintained continuously by regulating thespeed of the devices which deliver the elements respectively, so thatthe resulting proportions are obtained, such speed being ascertained byexperiment with each particular sort of material, and thereby beingadapted to the character of the material or the facility with which itis actually engaged by the devices provided for taking it up andconveying it, thus making it possible with each lot of stock to obtainthroughout the entire feeding of it a uniform result as to quantitydelivered to the layer.

In the drawings, Figure 1 isa vertical longitudinal section through theconveyer and initial mixing-wheels of a mixer or blendinglmachine andthe devices for feeding the several elements thereto. Fig. 2 is asection of one of the feeders. Fig. 3 is a detail section at the line 33 on Fig. 1, but made on the scale of Fig. 2, showing means forregulating the rate of feeding action of the feeder. Fig. 4 is amagnified section through the stratified layer rdeposited on theblending-machine feeding-carrier by the ap aratus s iown.

The blending-macliine is of a familiar type, represented conventionallyby the receivingapron 1, which is an endless carrier from which at itsdelivery side the material carried by it is delivered between twofeed-rollers 2 2, and at the side of said rollers remote from the end ofthe apron conveyer it is taken by the main cylinder 3 of theblending-machine, by which it is carried through the machine in the wellunderstood manner of such machines.

4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are endless conveyer-aprons which bring the severalelements of stock to be blended each from a separate feeder, hereinafterdescribed. The lowest of the aprons 4 overhangs the outer or receivingend portion of the conveyer-apron 1 of the blendingmachine and deliversa film or stream of the particular element which it carries onto saidapron, forming the lowest layer thereon, (rcpresented at 9.) The apron 5is extended above the feeder to which the apron'4 pertains and beyondthe point at which the apron 4 delivers its layer onto the apron 1, sothat it delivers the material which it carries on said IOO i apron 1 inadvance of the point of deliveryA thereon of the layer 9by the apron 4,so that the layer 10 delivered by said apron 5 is superimposed upon thefilm 9 as a second stratum or layer. Similarly, the aprons 6, 7, and Sdeliver material which they carry successively in advance of each otheronto the apron 1 ,forming successively-superinterposed layers 11, 12,and 13, so that there is produced upon the apron 1 a stratified deposit,each stratum consisting of one element of the stock to be blended in thefelt in the proportion in which such element is required for producingthe quality of felt desired. This stratified deposit when delivered bythe conveyer-apron 1 to the feed-rolls 2 2 is by them compressed andissues from between them in a sufiiciently-coherent condition, so thatthe rapidly-revolving main cylinder 3 of the blending-machine detachesthe material by the travel of its teeth or lingers 3at across theexposed edge of the stratified mass, taking, therefore, the severalelements in the exact proportions measured by the thickness of theseveral strata or layers 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13, and the material is thuscarried through the blender and delivered therefrom thoroughly mixed inthese proportions. The particular character of this blender ormixing-machine is well understood and requires no further or moreparticular description. A

Each of the conveyer-aprons 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 constitutes the deliveringdevice from a feeder. The several feeders (two being shown in Fig, 1)are of familiar type, as shown in section in Fig. 2, and will be brieydescribed, the description of one answering for all, exceptin as totheir relative position and the length o the delivering-apron. Each ofthese feeding devices consists of a hopperv or bin 15, which is keptsupplied with the material or element of the stock to be fed, which maybe in one case hair, in another case short fiber or shoddy, or inanother case longer wool fiber, according to the particular mixturedesired in the felt to be produced.

An endless elevator 16 travels from the bottom upward at the forwardside of the bin or hopper 15 for carrying up the stock, which is keptpressed in toward the foot of the elevator by the spring-pressedfollower 15a. The elevator is armed with teeth or fingers 16a for thuslifting the stock which it carries under the hood 17, where the materialis cleared from the elevator by the revolving wheel 18, having paddlesor vanes 13*L for dislodging the material from the carrying-lingers ofthe elevator and causing it to be lodged upon the receiving end of theapron 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8, as the case may be.

The several feeding devices, comprising each the bin or hopper,elevator, clearing paddle-wheel, and delivery-apron, are mounted uponplatforms successively higher and higher, so that said delivery-apron ofeach of l the devices beek ef the first may' extend fen ward over theone in advance of it and these delivery-aprons are successivel fongerand longer, so that the one farthest ack may extend over the feeders infront of it and deliver at a point on the conveyer-apron 1 of theblender in front of all the preceding. This arrangement makes thedelivery aprons,

Yfrom the foremost to the rearmost, successivelyhigher and higher at thedelivery-point, and the material which they respectively carry anddeliver is guided in its direct fall from the delivery end of thefeed-apron to the proper point on the apron 1 in throats or verticalguideways formed by approximately vertical but converging bars 19 19.These guiding-throats are only necessery to prevent the scattering ofthe material which may not be sufficiently coherent to constitute acontinuous sheet or film.

It will be seen that the quantity of material delivered from any one ofthe feeding devices by the delivery-apron thereof may be determined bythe rate at which the entire feed device is operated, or even bythe rateat which the elevator operates to take up the material from the bin,provided the thickness of the layer or load which the elevator isadapted or permitted to carry under the hood is regulated so as to beuniform, These feeding devices have a comb 20, operating at the upperend of the elevator, vibrated by suitable connections, as a pitman 21,from a crank 22, and a continuously revolved gear 23 for combing off anysuperfluous or excess of material which may be engaged by the fingers ofthe elevator and carried up in clots or lumps, so that the elevatordelivers a substantially uniform layer to the delivery-apron at thefarther side. This comb by means of the slotted construction of thelever-arm 24 (see Fig. 2) is adjustable to make the distance of itsoperating edge from the elevator greater or less to permit the elevatorto carry up and deliver a load or layer of greater or less thick- IOOIOS

IIO

ness and with a given character of stock, the

elevator runningat a given speed and with the comb adjusted at a givenvdistance from the elevator, the quantity of material delivered to thedelivery-apron will be uniform, and the resulting thickness of thestratum which the delivery apron of the feed device will deposit on theapron 1 may be increased or diminished with any given character of stockby increasing or diminishing the Speed of the elevator or by increasingor diminishing thedistance of the comb from the elevator. v

For varying the speed of the elevators of the different feed devices soas to cause the delivery-apron of each one to deposit a stratum of thedesired thickness of the apron 1 any familiar speed-varying drivingdevices may be employed. For that purpose I have illustrated taperingrollers or cone-pulleys 25 L6 with means for shifting the connectingbelt27 longitudinally with respect to the pulleys. I do not limit myself tothis particular mechanical expedient, but other well-known eXpedientsfor varying speed may be substituted.

I claim- 1. In a machine for the purpose stated, in combination with ablending-machine comprising a carrier for feeding material thereto aplurality of devices for feeding the material to be blended, each ofsaid feeding devices comprising an endless carrier for deliveringmaterial therefrom, such carriers being terminated attheir delivery sidein position for delivering upon said endless feed-carrier of theblending-machine, one in front of another, along the path of movement ofthe carrying ply of said carrier, and means for regulating the rate ofdelivery of the several feeding devices independently of each other.

2. In a machine for the purpose indicated, in combination with ablending-machine comprising an endless carrier for feeding the same; aplurality of devices for feeding the several materials to be blended,each of said feeding devices comprising an endless carrier fordelivering the material, said endless carriers of the several feedingdevices being arranged successively one above another, each terminatingat its delivery side beyond the one below it, above the endlessfeeding-carrier of the blending-machine, and means for regulating therate of delivery of said delivering-carriers independently of eachother.

3. In a machine for the purpose indicated, in combination with ablending-machine comprising an endless carrier for feeding the same, aplurality of feeding devices for delivering different materials to saidcarrier having their delivering means arranged for deliverysuccessively, one in front of another, on said carrier, for producingsuperimposed layers of the different materials thereon, said feedingdevices having variable-speed driving me ans and means for regulatingthe speed of each independently of the others.

4. In a mechanical organization for the purpose indicated, incombination with a blending-machine having an endless carrier forfeeding it, a plurality of feeding devices,

each comprising a receptacle for the material to be fed and means forengaging and carrying away the same, and having each an endlesstraveling delivery belt or apron, said feeding devices being arranged atsuccessively more and more elevated positions, one behind another, backof the receiving end of the carrier of the blending-machine, thedelivery-apron of each feeding device at the rear being eX- tended aboveall the feeding devices in front of it, said several aprons'terminatingat their forward ordelivery side successively farther and fartherforward above the carrier of the blending-machine as they are locatedsuccessively farther and farther rearward from the receiving sidethereof.

5. In a machine for the purpose stated, in combination with ablending-machine comprising a horizontal carrier for feeding materialthereto, a plurality of devices for supplying to such carrier thematerial to be blended, each comprising an endless carrier fordelivering material therefrom, such carriers being located one aboveanother, each terminating farther forward than the one below it alongthe path of movement of said horizontal carrier of the blending-machine.

6. In a machine for the purpose indicated,.

in combination with a blending machine comprising a horizontal carrierfor feeding the same, a plurality of devices for supplying to suchcarrier the several materials to be blended, each of said devicescomprising an endless carrier for delivering the material, said endlesscarriers being arranged successively one above another, above thehorizontal feeding-carrier of the blending-machine, and each terminatingat its delivery side farther forward than the one below it along thepath of feeding movement of said blendingmachine carrier, and means forregulating the rate of delivery of said several deliverinv-carriersindependently of each other.

' n testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence oftwo witnesses, at Chicago, Illinois, this 1 1th day of March, A. D.

EMIL TYDEN. In presence ofi CHAs. S. BURTON, .FRED G. FISCHER.

